The present invention relates to a detector for determining faulty semiconductor components and to a method for detecting faulty semiconductor components. In other words, the present invention relates to a contact-via chain as a corrosion and crack detector.
During their manufacture on a wafer, semiconductor components are separated by sawing trenches, which are used in the later assembly process for separation by sawing or other methods. The semiconductor elements are protected vis-à-vis these sawing trenches by a guard ring, the so-called scribe seal. The latter has the task both of stopping cracks caused by sawing the wafer as well as of preventing foreign molecules from diffusing into the circuit. The use of a guard ring is related art.
In addition, there are various approaches of controlling the function of the guard ring. U.S. Pat. No. 6,833,720 B1 describes a contact-via chain as a detection unit that tests specifically for damages by the ingress of water. U.S. Pat. No. 6,833,720 B1, on the other hand, is limited to components that use low-k materials as dielectric.
German Patent Application No. DE102012105848A1 and U.S. Patent App. Pub. No. 2013/0009663A1 describe a contact-via chain, which, however, in the specified system on measuring pads is able to be evaluated only initially in wafer tests.
U.S. Patent App. Pub. No. U.S. 2009/0321734 A1 describes an overall system whose sole function is to check a guard ring. The evaluation occurs by evaluating a capacitance signal.